by T. R. Ragan
“I was one of the lucky ones,” he told her. “I had a decent job with benefits. I made a comfortable living. And then my daughter got sick. But I wasn’t worried. I had health insurance.” He snorted. “Hannah suffered for months before the doctors found the right combination of medications. She was making great strides, and we were all hopeful. And then the letter from DHI arrived. Signed by Owen Shepard.”
“Maybe if you had tried talking to him, he could have done something to help you.”
His head fell forward.
She wondered if he was pondering that, but then his head snapped up, and she could see that she’d only served to make him angrier. His face was a maze of deep grooves.
“Cattle are treated with more respect and care than my daughter received. All I asked from your father was an apology and assurance that he would change the policy as it applied to experimental drugs. But he didn’t see fit to reply.” He got to his feet, grabbed a duffel bag, and walked across the room, his back to her. Was he leaving?
“Let me out. Please.”
“I’ll be back,” he said without stopping.
“Don’t leave me here! Let me go!” He disappeared around a half wall. She couldn’t see him any longer, but she heard a door open and close, followed by what sounded like a series of locks clicking into place. She didn’t know what to do. How was she going to get out of here?
Her father might be her only chance. And that scared her. He was a busy man. She rarely saw him. She and her brothers often referred to him as Uncle Dad. By the time her father realized the seriousness of her predicament, if at all, it could be too late.
TWENTY-FOUR
Zee made sure to keep a good distance from the Honda. She hadn’t been following him very long when he made a sharp right.
Panicked by the thought of losing him, she stepped on the gas and made the same right she’d seen him take. The long road ahead of her was deserted. She’d lost him. Frustrated, she made a U-turn, and that was when she saw his car squeezed into a tight spot between a truck and a building.
“Think you’re so smart,” she said.
Don’t do anything crazy, a voice in her head warned.
Or dangerous.
If the driver of the Honda wanted to get back on the road, there was only one way he could get out, and she was going to block his path. She pulled her car in front of the narrow opening, rolled down the passenger window, and tried to get a good look at his plates. He’d covered them. She couldn’t see the driver’s face because the spot where he was parked was well shaded.
His engine roared to life.
It took her a second to realize he was either trying to scare her or intending to ram right into her. Her first instinct was to let him do it. Stubborn was her middle name. He might ruin her car, but she would have him right where she wanted him. And then she thought of what Jessie had said about not putting herself in danger.
If she disobeyed, she would be fired.
“Merlin’s beard!” Determined to see his face if and when he came forward, she stared at him. He wasn’t fooling around. He gunned it and shot forward. She stepped on the gas and missed being hit by inches.
Gravel sprayed beneath his wheels as he made a sharp turn out of the alleyway. The chase was on again. And Jessie was calling.
“Hello,” Zee said.
“I told you to stay on the line.”
“Sorry about that. Not sure what happened.”
You shouldn’t lie.
“Shut up,” Zee told the voice in her head.
“What?”
“Nothing. Sorry.”
“Where are you?” Jessie asked.
Zee glanced at the map on the dashboard. “That’s a 10-20. Advise to location. Victory Avenue.”
“No need to use police codes.”
“That’s a 10-4.”
“Victory Avenue is right around the corner from here,” Jessie said.
“Correctomundo. He tried to lose me by hiding in an alleyway. I found him.”
“Were you able to see his plate numbers?”
“That’s a big no. The plates are covered with a bag. But I’m hoping to get a look at his face.”
“I want you to let him go. Meet me at the office.”
Zee bristled at the idea. “But why? He’s right in front of me. I can see—”
“Let him go, Zee. He’s seen you. He knows you’re onto him.”
Zee pinched her lips together.
“When you get to the office, there are a few things I need to talk to you—”
Zee disconnected the call. The Honda was in plain sight. There was no way she was going to just turn around and let him go. The second she saw him cut through a gas station, tires squealing, she knew that he knew she wasn’t giving up anytime soon.
Jessie was getting worried. She’d been sitting at her desk for twenty minutes, and Zee hadn’t made an appearance.
The phone rang. Hoping it was Zee, she picked up, surprised to hear Dad’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Hi,” she said. “What’s going on?”
“I couldn’t sleep last night. I thought I’d call to make sure you and Olivia were okay.”
She frowned. “We’re fine. Thanks for asking.”
“Does Olivia have her permit?”
“To drive? No. She just turned fifteen.”
“So she doesn’t drive?”
“No, Dad.” Jessie frowned. “Why are you asking?”
“No reason.”
This was crazy talk. Jessie’s office was located a block and a half from the house she rented. From her desk, she had a clear view of the street that ran between her home and her office. “I can see Olivia now,” she told her dad. “No need to worry. We’re both fine.”
“Oh, good. She’s a sweet girl. I worry about her sometimes.”
He never called. Something was going on. “Dad, why are you calling? What did you see?”
“I’ve got dinner on the stove,” he said. “I’d better go.”
“Dad. Tell me. I can’t help Olivia if I don’t know what’s going on.”
“I was at the market the other day, and I could have sworn I saw Olivia driving a sleek new car on Park Avenue.”
“But you didn’t call until now?”
He stuttered and then cleared his throat. “I wasn’t sure if it was her.”
She could tell he was lying. He knew it was Olivia, but he didn’t want to get her into trouble, especially now that he knew she was okay. “Was anyone in the car with her?” she asked.
“The female in the passenger seat had dark hair, and there was a dog in the car, too.”
He sounded flustered, and Jessie didn’t want him to regret calling. She knew Dad well enough to know that the real reason he hadn’t called before now was because he’d probably been drinking. Olivia was his only grandchild. He loved her, but his addiction to alcohol won out every time. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“Yes. Good. I’ll talk to you soon.”
The call was disconnected. Damn. She was angry and disappointed and also confused by Olivia’s behavior because Olivia was smarter than that. Jessie set her phone aside at the same moment Olivia and Higgins walked through the door. “Hey, there,” Jessie said. “Where have you been?”
“I took Higgins for a walk.”
Before Jessie could question her about what Dad had told her, Zee pulled up to the curb just outside her window.
Olivia waved.
By the time Zee joined them, Jessie’s anger was overriding all other emotions. “What took you so long?”
“His car was right there,” Zee said passionately. “I couldn’t let him go that easily.”
Jessie exhaled. She was going to have to let the girl go. Zee refused to obey orders and had a tendency to act impulsively. There was also the possibility that she might be a bad influence on Olivia. “This isn’t going to work.”
Zee tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”
�
��Yeah,” Olivia chimed in. “What do you mean?”
“This has nothing to do with you,” Jessie told Olivia. “Go home. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Olivia’s body tensed. “No,” she stated firmly.
“Keep it up,” Jessie said, “and you won’t be going to that dance.”
“You would never do that to me.”
Jessie didn’t like Olivia’s body language. It was as if she was testing her. “Try me.”
“Why are you being like this?” Olivia asked, sounding a little less defensive.
“Let’s see, where should I begin?” Jessie asked. “For starters, Dad just called to ask me if you had your driver’s permit.” Jessie looked from Olivia to Zee. “Now why in the world would he call to ask me that? Any ideas? Anyone?”
Olivia flinched. “Oh.”
“Maybe I should go,” Zee said. “I can stop by in the morning on my way to the Norton house.”
Jessie turned to Zee. “Stay right where you are.” Then she turned back to Olivia. “What were you thinking, driving Zee’s car?”
“It was stupid, I know. But don’t blame Zee. It was my fault. I’m the one who got in behind the wheel and drove without a permit.”
“That’s true,” Zee said.
Jessie pointed a finger at Zee. “Stay out of this.”
Zee said nothing.
“How far did you drive?” Jessie asked Olivia.
“Around an empty parking lot and then to a stoplight and back. Not very far at all.”
“You’re grounded,” Jessie told her. “No dance.”
“You can’t do that to me.”
“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Zee asked.
Tired of being questioned, Jessie turned her ire on Zee. “You’re fired.”
Zee put a hand to her chest. “Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Don’t fire Zee. If you do, I’ll have nobody to talk to when you’re not around.”
That was the last thing Jessie had expected to hear. She’d been trying so hard to keep an open line of communication with Olivia. But once again she’d failed. “You can talk to me.”
Olivia’s shoulders sagged. “That’s not true. You’re always busy, and I’m pretty sure you know nothing about the opposite sex since you’re not married, you never had a long-term relationship, and you don’t even date.”
“Trust me—I know about boys,” Jessie said, sounding childish to her own ears.
“I really don’t,” Zee confided. “The last guy I was infatuated with turned out to be a serial killer, so I’m pretty much batting zero.”
Jessie blew out some hot air. The conversation was getting out of hand. “We’ll talk about this later,” Jessie told Olivia.
Olivia snorted. “Fine.” She attached the leash to Higgins’s collar and left.
Alone with Zee, Jessie took a seat at her desk. “About today,” she said. “Hanging up on me midsentence and disobeying my instructions was unacceptable. I don’t know if this is going to work out.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is my business. There are rules that must be followed.”
Zee opened her mouth to speak, but Jessie raised a hand to stop her. “I hired you because I need help with my workload. If I have to spend a large portion of my day watching over you and making sure you’re following protocol, then that means I’m not getting my own work done.”
Zee walked over to the chair in front of Jessie’s desk and took a seat. “I’ve done everything you asked me to do. It only took me fifteen minutes to find the information you needed today.”
“I told you to let the Honda go and return to—”
Zee looked at Jessie with big, round eyes and then jabbed a finger at the open file on Jessie’s desk. “That’s him,” she said, excitement in her voice.
Annoyed that Zee wasn’t listening to a word she said, Jessie looked where Zee was pointing. It was an old newspaper clipping. The headline read:
BABY SMUGGLED OUT OF HOSPITAL
Below that was a picture of Nick and Ashley Bale with their new daughter soon after the birth.
“That’s the man who was driving the Honda.”
“I thought you didn’t see him.”
“Not right away. After I hung up with you, I followed the Honda around the streets of Sacramento for a while.”
Jessie frowned. “Of course you did.”
“How could I not? His car was right there! I admit I was ready to give up the chase, but then he had to stop for the light rail. Trapped between a UPS truck and me, he had nowhere to go. I got out of my car, walked over to his, and took a picture of him. I was so quick, he didn’t have time to cover his face.” Zee handed her phone to Jessie.
Stunned, it took only a glance for Jessie to see that it was definitely Ashley’s husband.
Zee read the article and then asked, “Why would the father of the stolen baby be following you?”
“That’s a good question.”
“Looks like you have your work cut out for you,” Zee said as she stood. “I’ll see you tonight to work on the DHI case.”
“Zee?”
“Yes?”
“I fired you, remember?”
“You were serious?”
“I was, but I realize I was being impulsive, reacting out of anger. And for that reason I’ve decided to give you a second chance—under one condition.”
“That I don’t, under any circumstance, allow Olivia to drive my car?”
“Yes. And you also must promise me you’ll follow orders. If I tell you to drop a case or stop following someone, then you must do as I ask.”
“Deal.”
“One more question before you go.”
Zee actually stopped at the door and waited to see what she had to say.
“It’s about Olivia. When the two of you returned from shopping, Olivia appeared upset, and I was hoping you might know why.”
“She’s fifteen,” Zee said as if that might be news to Jessie. “The problem, as I see it, is her birth month. I thought she was a Cancer, but I found out she was actually a Libra.”
Jessie had no idea where Zee was going with this.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Zee said. “Libras are clever and can be fun and spontaneous at times, but they’re also indecisive, unreliable, a tad naive, and way too nice for their own good. Does that help?”
Jessie had a headache. “Not at all. But thanks.”
“Anything else?” Zee asked.
“That’s it for now. I’ll see you later.”
TWENTY-FIVE
When Jessie returned to the house, she found Olivia in her room studying. Her niece looked over at her and said, “I’m sorry I drove Zee’s car. It was a stupid thing to do.”
“Yes, it was.”
“I won’t do it again.”
Jessie nodded. “I’m worried about you.”
“Why?”
Cecil the one-eyed cat circled her legs. Jessie set her bag down and picked him up. “Because you’re at that vulnerable age when peer pressure can become too much. I’m not just talking about boys, but alcohol and drugs, too.”
“We’ve had these talks before,” Olivia said. “I’m not stupid.” She blushed. “Not usually.”
“Ever since your mom’s funeral you’ve been quiet. And then hearing from Dad of all people that you were out driving makes me feel as if I’m not doing my job.”
“I think you’re doing a good job. I always know you’re here for me if I need you. But I don’t think you trust me.”
“Under the circumstances, I think that’s warranted.” Jessie finished petting the cat and set him back on the ground.
“Agreed, but I’m talking about before the car thing. I think you’re so afraid I’m going to become a clone of my mom that you can’t relax. Parents these days are too paranoid about everything.”
“That might be true, but I don’t think you’re being fair,” Jessie said. “I’ve always given yo
u your space. I don’t come into your room uninvited and try to shove my views down your throat, do I?”
“What if I told you that a boy asked me to the upcoming dance?”
Before Jessie could respond, Olivia added, “You would probably make it into a big deal and ask to meet him and his parents—am I right?”
“Maybe.”
“See? That’s what I mean about trusting me. It’s a ninth-grade dance.”
Jessie crossed her arms. “You do realize you sort of messed up the whole trustworthy thing when you got behind the wheel of Zee’s car, don’t you?”
Olivia blushed again. “True, but I said I was sorry.”
Jessie decided to let it go for now. For once Olivia was opening up to her, and she thought it was important they find a way to discuss important issues. “So, did a boy ask you to the dance or was that hypothetical?”
“A boy asked me to the dance.”
“Ahh, I see.”
“But it doesn’t matter anymore since I’m grounded.”
Jessie thought about it for a moment. Her niece had a point about Jessie being afraid Olivia might turn out like her mother. Sophie and Jessie had been opposites. Sophie had been known as the wild one while Jessie was told she had a tendency to worry and come across as uptight. “I’ve decided to give Zee a second chance,” Jessie said, breaking the silence. “So maybe I’ll give you a second chance, too.”
“Really?”
Jessie held up a finger. “Really.”
Olivia jumped off the bed and came at her fast. She wrapped her arms around Jessie, making her laugh. When Olivia pulled away, Jessie said, “I do think it would be helpful for us to talk about things that could happen so that you’re prepared to deal with any situation.”
Olivia’s shoulders fell slightly.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“You make me feel like I’m ten instead of fifteen. There are kids my age who are having sex already. Relationships are a big deal at my age. It’s all we think about sometimes, but having a relationship doesn’t mean going all the way.”